WESTPORT — It took a couple of hours, but the Board of Selectmen eventually chose to support a statement of interest from the town to the Massachusetts School Building Authority which asks that group for its expertise and possible financial help in building a new junior/senior high school to replace the PCB-contaminated middle school.

The two resolutions voted on Monday night by selectmen told the MSBA the town is interested in removing all students from the middle school and constructing a new junior/senior high school. The middle school could then be used by the town for other purposes.

“By submitting the statement, it gets us into the pipeline to see if the MSBA will help us,” schools Superintendent Ann Dargon said. “Hopefully, the MSBA will see we have a need.”

Board of Selectmen Chairman Antone Vieira Jr. was against supporting the statement of interest on Monday night, requesting more time to consider it.

“We need to sit down and talk about this,” Vieira said. “I, for one, would like to delay this, give the School Committee one more meeting.”

“I think this is delay for the sake of delay,” began Selectman Craig Dutra.

Vieira told Dutra he objected to being interrupted.

“Call the police and get me out of here,” Dutra responded.

“Don’t interrupt another colleague,” Vieira said.

“Yes, your highness,” Dutra responded.

“The MSBA wanted us to lay out our problem and not necessarily a solution,” School Committee Member Michelle Duarte said.

“We typically don’t vote on things we’ve seen for the first time that evening,” Vieira said.

“This is not binding,” Duarte said.

Members of the School Committee stressed that, while the statement of interest didn’t bind the district to anything, the committee does have something in mind.

“I think what we’s for is to get a new junior/senior high school,” said School Committee Chairman Antonio Viveiros.

Vieira continued to stress that the selectmen had not had time to consider the proposal.

“This statement requires a commitment of millions of dollars from the town,” Vieira said.